By Ravi Madholall
“With the current crop of fast-bowlers in the West Indies team, I think Ronsford Beaton is way above them and deserves a chance to play test cricket now; he is young and has all the materials a fast-bowler have,” these were some of the words from Accredited Qualified Level Two Coach Forbes Daniels in an exclusive interview with Guyana Times International Sports on Tuesday.
The twenty-four-year-old, Beaton, has made great strides with his pace, hostility and intimidation and Daniels, who has coached Beaton since under-15 days, firmly believes that Beaton should have been a regular member of the West Indies test squad.
Beaton has been an impressive quickie having made his first appearance for the Guyana’s senior side in 2011 and admirably continued to be excellent and also establishing himself by wearing the West Indies colours on several A team tours but unjustifiably, the Essequibian not getting the opportunity at the game’s longest version.
“We have got to be consistent with the bowling at international level; Beaton is a hard-worker who could be an asset in the West Indies’ bowling department because he has what it takes to be up there; I think he can be alongside Alzarri Joseph who is equally talented as Beaton, both have the kind of aggression to be the Caribbean first-choice pacemen,” the 56-year-old Daniels, who skippered Essequibo Senior Inter-County team, reasoned.
Joseph (20), the Antiguan, already featured in two tests and similar number of one-day internationals for the regional side, and that has given Daniels the confidence Beaton can bowl in tandem with him. He reiterated the significance of having young and promising fast-bowlers aspiring to play at the highest level and with Beaton’s ability, West Indies Selectors should have allowed him to break into the Caribbean side already, according to Daniels.
“Once Beaton stays physically fit, he has a far way to go, but I think he is talented enough to have played long time ago in front of other fast-bowlers who have reached that far already,” Daniels reckoned.
In his fine career to date, Beaton would have represented Guyana at all levels in the traditional regional tournaments which are usually run under the auspices of the West Indies Cricket Board, a manifestation of Beaton’s talent and perseverance to climb the successful fast-bowler ladder.
He also played for the West Indies Under-19 team on two occasions and had shown enormous amount of promises and prospects.
Beaton, who was born in Montserrat, a Caribbean Island, to Guyanese parents, and had honed most of his cricketing skills in Essequibo at a tender age remains in Reliance, Essequibo Coast (Region Two) and currently plays first-division cricket for the Georgetown Cricket Club.
Apart from his 64 wickets in 33 first-class matches, the Essequibo senior inter-county captain Beaton simultaneously displayed his fortune and considerable success in the abbreviated format by taking 41 wickets in 26 List A games and 31 batting victims from 36 appearances with a best figure of 4-9 in the T20 version.
In addition to that, Beaton is a frequent cricketer in the exciting twenty/20 cricket leagues. He was a member of Guyana Amazon Warriors in the annual Caribbean Premier League while he turned out for Trinibago Knight Riders last year, and Daniels suggested that these steady shows by Beaton do resonate well about his qualities as a cricketer, and more naturally a speedster.
In addition to his T20 achievements, Beaton went on auction at the world-renowned Indian Premier League last year but still remains unsold. Meanwhile, following the series against England West Indies next assignment is in April against Pakistan.
